


Like a Waterwheel

by SarciRen



Category: The Legend of Zelda & Related Fandoms, The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild
Genre: Drabble, Gen, Introspection
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-09-11
Updated: 2019-09-11
Packaged: 2020-10-14 13:14:17
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,241
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20601368
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SarciRen/pseuds/SarciRen
Summary: The king from a long dead era entrusted the young man with no memories a quest of ridiculous proportions. What goes through his head? And what makes him take that first step?





	Like a Waterwheel

“Link… You must save… Hyrule…”

And with that, the ethereal shade of the former king of Hyrule quietly left Link with his absurd request. The recently awoken amnesiac glanced around the decrepit ruins of the tower, which looked like it could crumble away at any moment, as if expecting for the old ghost to reappear and tell him that he was just joking. But as the first hints of dawn crept closer, Link realized that he was truly alone at this point.

From his spot on top of the Temple of Time, it was easy to make out Hyrule Castle, the destination old man Rhoam had given him, standing tall, proud, and brimming with a nauseating vortex of crimson that somehow managed to reek of malice. It didn’t take much more than a single look to convince Link of the former king’s story, that something as otherworldly and terrifying as a being called Calamity Ganon was at the root of such malevolence. What kind of form such a thing would take and how much power it must hold Link couldn't even begin to fathom, but the reality of its existence was already painfully clear. 

And somehow Link was supposed to find a way to slay it.

Nervously, Link looked down at the paraglider in his hands. It was easy to see that it was of remarkable quality, especially when compared to the threadbare clothes the blond had managed to scavenge and the sword on his back that was more rust than iron. Even without his memories, Link was positive that there had never been a hero more poorly equipped to tackle such a monstrous task. With his hands still slightly unsteady, Link folded up the contraption and stowed both it and that troubling thought away.

Once more he cast a look to the distance, forcing himself to take in more than just the ominous monstrosity that was Hyrule Castle. Rolling fields of green crashed into forests and rivers, with comically tall mountains standing defiantly on the edge of the horizon. Although none of these sights brought back a single memory from his life a hundred years ago, Link found himself being filled with an all too familiar sense of adventure that was quickly proving difficult to shake off. With just one look he knew that it wouldn’t be difficult at all to just forget about the mangy mountain hermit and his past life if it meant he could spend the rest of his days exploring this beautiful world in front of him.

He could already see it quite clearly. Once off this desolate plateau he could likely make a living picking up the odds and ends for people with his surprisingly vast skillset. And with a pocketful of rupees he could roam the land and search out all of its wonders one by one. And maybe once he had seen all there was to see, he would settle down somewhere and pick up a passion. Live a quiet life and let someone else deal with the monster spilling out of Hyrule Castle. 

A knowing grin spread across his face, as he couldn’t think of a single thing that sounded less appealing. The small shaking in his hands hadn’t stopped, causing that grin to widen almost dangerously. This situation was really, truly, absolutely absurd when he thought about it. After all, the nervousness and apprehension coursing through him had nothing to do with fear. 

No, his hands were shaking from unbridled excitement at the ridiculously daunting scale of what lay before him.

So what if he was using a chipped pot lid for a shield and his sword was about to fall apart? He was sure it wouldn’t be too difficult to scrounge together more usable equipment. Was it really such a big deal that they lost control of whatever those Divine Beasts were? That just meant he would to take care of them before going after the big guy himself. And who cared if he didn’t have any memories? Even without them, Link knew that his old self would not turn away from this quest. Sure he didn’t have much to work with at this precise moment, but it would be more than enough to get him to the next step.

The paraglider on his back was proof that he had accomplished the second goal that he had set for himself since he woke up in that cold pool: find a way off this plateau. And he would use that exhilaration and sense of accomplishment to pursue the new one given to him by old man Rhoam and the many others that he will stumble upon throughout his journey. People would no doubt pile on requests and expectations on him, but he would take all of it on with a smile.

Like a waterwheel, he’ll turn all of that pressure into momentum and keep moving forward.

Link couldn’t help but blink a few times in stunned puzzlement. Although he was certain that none of his memories had returned, his gut was telling him that he wasn’t the one that had come up with such a specific comparison. He scratched his head as he tried to place the odd feeling of nostalgia that was bubbling in his chest at the moment, but try as he might nothing was coming to mind. 

The sun’s first early rays pulled Link back from his thoughts, as if to remind him that he was getting ahead of himself. Him standing here wracking his head for a memory that may never come back wasn’t going to help him, much less Hyrule. A small chuckle passed his lips as he was already realizing that not thinking about it at all may be impossible, so he resolved to at least waste his time wracking his head while moving.

A few confident strides were all it took for him to reach the ledge of what was left of the tower. Link didn’t even think twice as he leapt from the dizzying height and laughed at how violently the wind whipped his hair. With the practiced ease of a man that had done it a hundred times before, Link deftly unfurled the paraglider and sailed through the sky. Old man Rhoam had suggested that he should head to Kakariko Village, so Link figured he would do just that.

Link felt his smile stretch a bit further as he realized that he was finally making progress on that very first goal he had set for himself when he had woken up all alone in that dark chamber. He couldn't say how long he had been on the brink of consciousness down there, but it sure had felt like he had been engulfed within a deep haze for an eternity or two. But when that voice called out, he knew before he even woke up that it had used his name. And when he opened his eyes, the first thing he felt wasn't the coldness of the water surrounding him or the staleness of the air, but an emotion so bittersweet that he couldn’t help but swear that he would do whatever it took to meet that voice's owner. To meet this princess named Zelda, who according to old man Rhoam was a key piece to the puzzle that was defeating Calamity Ganon.

But perhaps more importantly, his gut was also telling him that she probably knew a thing or two about waterwheels.

**Author's Note:**

> I've been playing with this idea for quite awhile at this point, but have only just now gotten around to actually getting it to a point that I think it's acceptable to be read by others. Breath of the Wild is surprising conducive for creating a whole slew of headcannons for both its world and characters, so this is just my interpretation on how a guy with no memories could possibly get suckered into taking on such an enormous task.
> 
> I don't really have any plans on making this into a series or anything, as this is more of an exercise to get me back into the swing of writing again. Comments and criticisms are always welcome though.


End file.
